Shield of Hope opens in Chicago

The new venture is a big part of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s “Plan 2.0: A Home for Everyone”

The Salvation Army held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Shield of Hope emergency family shelter in Chicago.

The project, a partnership with the City of Chicago, is the nation’s first rapid-response emergency homeless assessment and response center providing intake services and interim care for families in need.

Through an innovative service model, the Shield of Hope, located across from The Salvation Army Army’s Freedom Center campus in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood, will triage and assess families who find themselves homeless and place them into more stable living situations within 14 days.

The facility will be able to provide shelter for as many as 75 family members if they’re unable to find shelter elsewhere. The Shield of Hope provides: 20 Bedrooms with private bathrooms, a laundry Room, cafeteria, counseling, support services, life skills training and assistance obtaining permanent housing.

Families staying at the Shield of Hope will also have access to an array of services at the Freedom Center, including social service programs, recreational and educational programs for the entire family, nutritious meals and snacks and treatment for substance abuse.

“We are committed to providing these essential services to residents of Chicago who are most at-risk and in need,” said Lt. Colonel Charles Smith, The Salvation Army Metropolitan Divisional Commander. “Not only will The Salvation Army provide a safe and welcoming environment for families to live during emergencies, we will help them restart their lives by giving them the tools and resources to begin again with hope and joy. We will shield them from doubt and darkness.